


The Donna Box

by Sokorra



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-04
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-13 21:57:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/829334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokorra/pseuds/Sokorra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While getting a glass of water, Donna finds a box sitting in the living room full of memories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Donna Box

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after Leo's Funeral but before the events of Transition. Inspired by Gilmore Girls, in which Lorelai and Rory pack up the things that remind them of someone they loved and put it in a closet so they can bring it out again when the memories don't hurt so much.
> 
> This is also my first time writing for this fandom, so constructive criticism would be welcomed.

There was a box.

Now, ordinary the fact that there was a box sitting in someone's living room would not be a major thing. In fact there were plenty of boxes sitting in various living rooms in various places. But this box was in Josh's apartment, and from the hole in the top of the box she could tell her stuff was in it.

She walked over to it, careful to be quiet. Josh was still passed out in bed, and she really didn't want to wake him up at the moment. She wasn't sure how much sleep he had gotten on the campaign and the next few weeks would be busy so she doubted he'd get that much then. So she wanted him to sleep as much as possible. Plus it allowed her time to snoop.

It had been months, years since she had been in his apartment for any major length of time. Actually, to be accurate, this was the first time she had been in his apartment since she came home from Gaza. So almost two years. 

For the most part it hadn't changed. It still was in the chaotic order that he preferred, his CDs and DVDs sat in various piles across the room, and his couch had about five blankets on it that made her think of a bird's nest. 

But her attention was on this box. She lowered herself onto the floor, putting her glass of water on the hardwood floor beside her. lifting the lid of the box, she moved the tabs to the side to show what was inside. The first time was an old t-shirt of his she regularly stole as a top to sleep in when she spent the night. Below it were various items she had left there - soap, hair ties, her collection of Joni Mitchell CDs that she had been looking for forever. A few pictures.

She blinked slightly as it dawned on her what had happened. He had made a Donna box. Tried to stuff the memories into a box to better deal with her absence. She hadn't done the same. He rarely stayed at her apartment, and the few things he had left there she had left in his office before she left.

She hadn't done anything with the pictures. Somehow she couldn't bring herself to bring them down no matter how angry she had been with them. She hadn't thought that Josh would have felt so strongly that he couldn't even bear the photographs. 

There was one from the first inaugural. Their first dance together, taken by Andi Wyatt. They were smiling at the camera, clearly half drunk and loving every minute of the night. Back then they had just been friends, had no idea that they would want anything more. Of course back then, Andi and Toby had still been married, and only starting to think of separation.

She remembered that she, Andi, CJ, Margaret and Jenny had all shut themselves up in a side room at the last ball, having a sisterhood celebration. Jenny had been reserved, but Donna remembered at that point she had been happy. Margaret had been telling CJ about some weird fact she had been reading on the way to the ball. Which had left her and Andi on the couch.

Andi had made the passing joke about Donna being Josh's honorary wife and they had all laughed, talking about the points when Josh and Donna had been mistaken for a married couple during the course of the campaign. She remembered laughing so hard that night she had fallen off the couch.

It was a very happy memory, and so distinct from the way things were now. Of course, the honorary wife thing was probably even more accurate now, yet not quite as hilarious. Since that ball she had fallen in love with him, and she suspected that he might be in love with her, although their discussions about their relationship had not been abundant in the last few weeks since that first kiss. 

It hadn't been their first kiss, but it had been the first kiss where there had been absolutely nothing keeping them from making it more than just a kiss. They had kissed each other's cheeks throughout the whole relationship, occasionally on the lips during particularly jubilant celebration. But they had never crossed that line into something that couldn't be explained away.

She put the picture down and reached in for the next, this time it was a 'family' photo. CJ with her curly hair only a few weeks before she started to wear it straightened. Toby actually smiling, his arm around Andi and CJ holding them close. Jed Bartlet and Leo McGarry in the middle with their wives, looking like the proud fathers they were. Sam and his fiancee only days before their break-up. And Josh, Mandy and her. Josh had his arms around both of them, similar to Toby but instead of three friends hugging, Mandy looked like she didn't belong and Donna had the sinking feeling that she was part of that reason. Mandy had never been mean to her. Slightly dismissive at times, but it never seemed different than how Mandy treated anyone else. But in this picture, if she hadn't known the truth, people would have assumed that Donna was the girlfriend instead of Mandy. And she felt guilty. 

"That was an odd day," came a voice from behind her, startling her into almost dropping the photo. She turned to find Josh standing in the archway between the living room and the hall that went back to his bedroom. "Mandy and I broke up before that, but we hadn't told anyone."

"Do you think she left because she felt unwanted," Donna asked, not sure why she felt like asking that now.

"I think she left because it was the only way she knew how to deal with what happened. She wasn't the only one to leave. She actually called me the other day, asking if Santos needed a new PR director."

"Are you thinking about it."

"She's good at what she does. And we've gotten past what made us so antagonistic towards each other in the past. And I already deal with Amy on a daily basis. Working with the ex that's less likely to try to screw me over is probably going to be a relief." 

Donna smiled slightly.

"So, you made a Donna box."

"Yeah." She could tell by his voice he wasn't ready for talking about that yet. She sighed as she put the picture back in the box and stood up before taking her glass of water. She walked over to him and took his hand, leading him back to the bedroom. She could have patience, at least for a little while. They would eventually have to talk about those weeks when the painful absence of the other had kept them from speaking to one another. 

And they would finally take those things out of the box.


End file.
